Choosing suitable trees/material

[Votarist]

Greetings, everyone.

I am getting ready to purchase my first bonsai (not counting a stick in a pot that promptly died), and I am trying to make a list of the characteristics that I should be looking for and place them in some sort of priority order. From what I can gather, you should look for:

1) Overall health
2) Interesting, well-formed trunk with good color and texture, and most importantly, consistent taper.
3) Well-positioned and proportioned branches (try to find alternating branches if possible).
4) Well-developed and spaced nebari, if visible.
5) Foliage that is compact and grows tightly to the trunk.
6) Small flowers/fruit (if applicable).

Is there anything that I am missing? Would you change the order of priority?

My plan is to purchase at least one tree that has been previously trained, so that I can practice maintenance, and to see if I can grow/collect some material on my own.

 

[Dav4]

Nebari and tapered trunk first, don't really care about the color. Health is important, but if you know what you're doing, good horticultural practices can take care of that. Branches don't really matter with deciduous trees, as you'll be regrowing them most of the time....evergreens are a different beast. Forgive me, but I just finished my second margarita...still feeling good about what I said, though

 

[Smoke]

Greetings, everyone.

I am getting ready to purchase my first bonsai (not counting a stick in a pot that promptly died), and I am trying to make a list of the characteristics that I should be looking for and place them in some sort of priority order. From what I can gather, you should look for:

1) Overall health
2) Interesting, well-formed trunk with good color and texture, and most importantly, consistent taper.
3) Well-positioned and proportioned branches (try to find alternating branches if possible).
4) Well-developed and spaced nebari, if visible.
5) Foliage that is compact and grows tightly to the trunk.
6) Small flowers/fruit (if applicable).

Is there anything that I am missing? Would you change the order of priority?

My plan is to purchase at least one tree that has been previously trained, so that I can practice maintenance, and to see if I can grow/collect some material on my own.

A budget......

 

[mat]

Since your previous attempt at a potted plant died, I'd recommend shopping for a species that's easy to keep alive. No sense in worrying about all of those others things if you can't do that. I'm not the best one to give advice on what that is in Kentucky, but Chinese elms seem pretty tough wherever they are.

 

[october]

Greetings, everyone.

I am getting ready to purchase my first bonsai (not counting a stick in a pot that promptly died), and I am trying to make a list of the characteristics that I should be looking for and place them in some sort of priority order. From what I can gather, you should look for:

1) Overall health
2) Interesting, well-formed trunk with good color and texture, and most importantly, consistent taper.
3) Well-positioned and proportioned branches (try to find alternating branches if possible).
4) Well-developed and spaced nebari, if visible.
5) Foliage that is compact and grows tightly to the trunk.
6) Small flowers/fruit (if applicable).

Is there anything that I am missing? Would you change the order of priority?

My plan is to purchase at least one tree that has been previously trained, so that I can practice maintenance, and to see if I can grow/collect some material on my own.

Have you familiarized your self with the 5 styles of bonsai? It is the basis for the art. It is one the most important criteria when picking a tree for bonsai training.

Rob

 

[PaulH]

Greetings, everyone.

I am getting ready to purchase my first bonsai (not counting a stick in a pot that promptly died), and I am trying to make a list of the characteristics that I should be looking for and place them in some sort of priority order. From what I can gather, you should look for:

1) Overall health
2) Interesting, well-formed trunk with good color and texture, and most importantly, consistent taper.
3) Well-positioned and proportioned branches (try to find alternating branches if possible).
4) Well-developed and spaced nebari, if visible.
5) Foliage that is compact and grows tightly to the trunk.
6) Small flowers/fruit (if applicable).

Is there anything that I am missing? Would you change the order of priority?


Not a bad list but I'd change the order. (and add a couple things)

1: Will thrive where you live and will tolerate bonsai techniques!
2: Strong trunk base
3:Interesting, well-formed trunk with good color and texture, and most importantly, consistent taper.
4:Well-developed and spaced nebari.
5: Interesting bark texture.
6: Well-positioned and proportioned branches (try to find alternating branches if possible).
7: ability to back bud or accept grafts.
8: Foliage that is compact and grows tightly to the trunk.
9: Appearance of age.
10: Small flowers/fruit (if applicable).
11:Overall health

If you don't have the first ten, eleven doesn't matter.

 

[Smoke]

Every item on any of these lists can be purchased.

It all depends on the budget.

 

[Poink88]

I agree with Dan...not too much with Paul unless you have ton of money to spend and don't mind losing it (because of the the quoted line below).

My plan is to purchase at least one tree that has been previously trained, so that I can practice maintenance, and to see if I can grow/collect some material on my own.

I'll start changing the priority of the above. Next...
1) Locally adapted plant (unless you are ready to go out of your way to care for your tree(s)-I am guilty of this)
2) Leaf size proportionate to your final tree (smaller leaves are generally preferred)
3) Interesting, well-formed trunk with good color and texture, and most importantly, consistent taper.
4) Well-developed and spaced nebari, (if not visible, look for it)
5) Well-positioned and proportioned branches (try to find alternating branches if possible).
6) Small flowers/fruit (if applicable).
7) Overall health...as long as it is not obviously sickly, pest infested, or dieing.

Good luck!!!

 

[DougB]

Consider joining your local bonsai club (http://www.louisvillebonsai.org/). Become active and find a mentor. Then spend time with your mentor looking at bonsai, pre-bonsai and nursery stock. This one on one is perhaps the best way to learn and acquire material. Good Luck

 

[Anthony]

Votarist,

normally on my side we suggest you start with a ficus benjamina, easy to grow hard to kill.
Not for cold climates though outdoors.

In your case, if you can, make a relaxed day and visit a few nurseries. Look for what you like and can easily afford. Take down the names, make list, note what you like about the plants.

If you can join a club, or if not possible come back here, show the names of the plants and ask about ease of growing, quality after training and whatever you can think to ask.

Then go back and just buy 3 to 5 of the same ones to experiment on.
Try for a simple informal upright - google for images of the Informal upright, graphic/drawings are very easy to absorb visually.

Here is a Cuphea h. [ it is a Sub-Tropical from Mexico ] that I found in a nursery and I bought it, put in a pretty pot [ porous. likes water, easy to kill with water as well ]. Just enough growing something.
The small plant is older than the big one, and that's the same size for the big one [ March 2013 or so, been pruned back 4 times ] when I got it.

Jack Wickle grew his under lights for years, can I grow my own in full sun for years?
The largest trunk I have ever seen was 1.5 inches, in an elderly lady's yard.

The older varieties will trunk, not so much the new stuff.
Wishing you well.
Good Morning
Anthony

 

[Adair M]

The lists above are good, however...

While I agree that lower trunk and nebari are the most important aspects of a quality bonsai,
it may be possible to fix that by air-layering (or ground layering) if you know what you're doing.

So, I would have to say that "It depends". It depends on your skill level, your knowledge of bonsai, how much time you are willing to spend on it, how much time you are willing let the tree develop, how much money you are willing to spend, etc.

 

[coppice]

At the peril of repeating. I'd start with a few foraged stumps. If you love those to death, there will be no great loss.

A nice fat box or blueberry will be kicked to the curb on all but winter months. The virtuals they make you draw, the roots they compel you to comb out, will all be training for the next level of applied skill you attempt.

I might also take this winter in passive search for soil components, treatments, training pots.

Every time I have moved, I had a period of time to reaquire where to get-find my lime-sulpher, or crushed stone, or something. Driving back to the 'old-place' doesn't hunt. By the third time you've done it, it really doesn't hunt.

Once you've gone four or five years without loosing a tree, your (or at least mine did) head will have swelled enough to try a more demanding tree, like a black pine.

My personal failing has ever been the smallest of trees. About every ten years I run back into old Zeko Nakamura's photos, and fall upon that sword again. I think I've got a few years grace before I succumb.

 

[Dan W.]

Have you familiarized your self with the 5 styles of bonsai? It is the basis for the art. It is one the most important criteria when picking a tree for bonsai training.

Rob

Rob, I'm hearing a resounding note lately... I fear Victrinia may need to jump in to try and save you before you're lost forever!

 

[markyscott]

When you're just starting out there is really only one priority - to learn how to keep a tree alive in a pot. Learn how to water, fertilize, and provide for its other needs and see if you are ready for the commitment. It's a daily, sometimes several times daily, ritual and priority number one when it comes to vacations, business travel, camping trips, etc...

So my list, for someone first starting off...

1). Inexpensive - cause there will be mistakes. When you forget to check the water for a couple of days, or the dog knocks the pot off the bench because it was built too low, or you don't wire the tree into the pot well and it gets blown out by a big wind, you'll be thankful that you aren't into your dead tree for several hundred dollars.
2). Tolerant
3). Adaptable
4). Appealing to you - I've found that my tastes have changed quite a bit as my experience has grown. So worry less about the future potential and conformity to the rules and more about whether you like it and it will keep your interest for the short term. If you decide bonsai is for you it's likely that you'll be upgrading anyway in your future.

The suggestions others have made are excellent, and I certainly think about those things when I buy a tree. But for someone just starting out, your priority should be learning how to keep a tree in a small pot healthy. Do it with something that gives you a good chance of success that will build your confidence and won't set you back so much that you'll be disappointed if it dies. As you gain more experience and if you're still interested after learning the demands of the horticultural side of the art you can get more discriminating.

I believe that ficus trees often fit this description. They are widely available and inexpensive. They grow well in a large range of light levels, growing conditions and soil types. They can come back after being droughted for a little while and they bud back strongly. In Kentucky, they'll require some winter protection when nighttime lows drop below 40 F, but they adapt well to growing indoors with an inexpensive grow light. They graft easily and respond well to hard cutbacks and defoliation so you can practice some of the techniques. And some of them are quite beautiful by any standards.

Good luck, and I hope you enjoy yourself.

Scott

 

[Vance Wood]

Greetings, everyone.

I am getting ready to purchase my first bonsai (not counting a stick in a pot that promptly died), and I am trying to make a list of the characteristics that I should be looking for and place them in some sort of priority order. From what I can gather, you should look for:

1) Overall health
2) Interesting, well-formed trunk with good color and texture, and most importantly, consistent taper.
3) Well-positioned and proportioned branches (try to find alternating branches if possible).
4) Well-developed and spaced nebari, if visible.
5) Foliage that is compact and grows tightly to the trunk.
6) Small flowers/fruit (if applicable).

Is there anything that I am missing? Would you change the order of priority?

My plan is to purchase at least one tree that has been previously trained, so that I can practice maintenance, and to see if I can grow/collect some material on my own.

Really the first thing you have to consider what material will best grow for you where you live. I would think a species of Juniper would be a good place to start----or a Ficus if you think you might be into those dreadful indoor bonsai. Sorry guys I have no use for indoor bonsai; which is another way of saying I have no use for trees that will not grow in my climate year round without anything more than a modicum of winter care.